Jill Roord has built one of the strongest careers in modern Dutch women’s football. Known for her vision, calm passing, powerful shooting and ability to score from midfield, she has represented major clubs in the Netherlands, Germany and England. She has also been part of the Netherlands national team for more than a decade.
Born in Oldenzaal on 22 April 1997, Roord grew up in a sporting family and developed her game from a young age. Her career has taken her from FC Twente to Bayern Munich, Arsenal, VfL Wolfsburg and Manchester City before she returned to FC Twente in 2025. Away from football, her relationship with Dutch hockey international Pien Sanders has also become an important part of her life.
Who Is Jill Roord?
Jill Jamie Roord is a Dutch professional footballer who plays mainly as an attacking or central midfielder. She is 29 years old, stands about 1.76 metres tall and is right-footed. Roord currently plays for FC Twente Vrouwen, where she wears number 10. She returned in May 2025 after leaving Manchester City and signed a three-year contract running into 2028. She also represents the Netherlands, known as the OranjeLeeuwinnen. By 2026, she had reached 115 senior international appearances and scored 31 goals.
Jill Roord Early Life and Family
Roord was born and raised in Oldenzaal, close to Enschede. Football was part of her life from childhood.
Jill Roord Father René Roord
Her father, René Roord, is a former professional footballer who played for FC Twente. He later moved into football management and has held a technical role with FC Twente Women. René strongly influenced Jill’s development. He watched her matches, analysed her performances and gave her detailed advice from a young age.
Jill Roord Mother and Siblings
Her mother is Chantal Roord, who played basketball at a high level, including youth national-team level. Jill therefore grew up with two competitive sporting parents. She also has two brothers and often played football outside with them, friends and local boys. The names of both brothers have not been firmly confirmed by strong sources.
Jill Roord Education and Youth Football
Roord first played for Quick ’20 in Oldenzaal before joining the FC Twente Football Academy in 2012. A local source also connects her with Drie-Eenheid primary school. There is no strong evidence of a university degree. Her childhood was heavily shaped by sport. Playing with older children and boys helped her develop confidence, balance and control at an early stage.
Jill Roord FC Twente Career
Roord made her senior FC Twente debut in early 2013 at only 16. She quickly became one of the best young midfielders in Dutch women’s football. During her first spell, she won multiple domestic titles and finished as the Eredivisie’s leading scorer in 2015–16 with 20 league goals. Her performances established her as one of the leading young Dutch talents and opened the door to a career abroad.
Jill Roord Return to FC Twente
After eight years abroad, Roord returned to FC Twente in May 2025. The move carried strong personal meaning. She wanted to be closer to family and friends and to rediscover more enjoyment in football after years of travel and pressure. FC Twente gave her the number 10 shirt and a three-year contract. In the 2025–26 season, she helped the club win the Dutch Women’s Super Cup and scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 league win over AZ in January 2026. Returning to Twente also brought her back to the region where she grew up and first became a senior footballer.
Jill Roord Bayern Munich and Arsenal Years
Roord joined Bayern Munich in 2017 and spent two seasons in Germany. She played 36 league matches and scored 13 league goals. The move gave her experience in a stronger league and helped her develop tactically and physically. Arsenal signed her in May 2019. She spent two seasons in North London, making 50 appearances in all competitions and scoring 15 goals.
One of her best Arsenal periods came in September 2020 when she scored hat-tricks in consecutive Women’s Super League matches against Reading and West Ham United. She became known for arriving late in the penalty area and finishing chances with the calmness of a forward. She left Arsenal in 2021 for VfL Wolfsburg.
Jill Roord at VfL Wolfsburg
Roord joined Wolfsburg for the 2021–22 season and enjoyed major success in Germany. She made 69 competitive appearances and scored 31 goals. Wolfsburg won the Frauen-Bundesliga in 2021–22 and the DFB-Pokal in both 2021–22 and 2022–23. She also helped Wolfsburg reach the 2023 UEFA Women’s Champions League final, where they lost 3–2 to Barcelona. Her time in Wolfsburg became one of the most productive periods of her club career.
Jill Roord Manchester City Career
Manchester City signed Roord from Wolfsburg in July 2023 for a club-record fee of more than £300,000. She scored on her league debut against West Ham United and quickly became an important midfielder. Across two seasons, she made 47 appearances, scored 14 goals and provided six assists.
Jill Roord ACL Injury
In January 2024, Roord ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament during a League Cup match against Manchester United. The injury ended her season, but she returned to competitive football in September 2024, roughly eight months later. Her comeback showed her resilience after one of the most serious injuries a professional footballer can face. She remained with City until May 2025 before choosing to return to FC Twente.
Jill Roord Netherlands Career
Roord made her senior Netherlands debut against Thailand on 7 February 2015. She has played at World Cups, European Championships and the Olympic Games, becoming one of the most experienced midfielders of her generation.
Major International Tournaments
Roord was part of the Netherlands squad that won UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 on home soil. At the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, she scored the winning goal against New Zealand in the opening group match. The Netherlands went on to reach the final before losing to the United States. At the 2023 World Cup, Roord had a larger role and scored four goals as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. She has also represented her country at Euro 2022, Euro 2025 and the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Jill Roord Playing Style
Roord is most effective as a number 10 or advanced number 8, although she can also play deeper in midfield. Her main strengths include close control, clever movement, passing between the lines, long-range shooting and late runs into the penalty area. She has said that she plays best when given freedom on the pitch rather than being restricted to one fixed role. Ronaldinho was one of her childhood idols because of his creativity and enjoyment of football.
Jill Roord Partner Pien Sanders
Jill Roord is in a confirmed relationship with Dutch field hockey star Pien Sanders. Sanders was born on 11 June 1998 and plays as a defender for HC ’s-Hertogenbosch and the Netherlands national hockey team. She is also an Olympic champion.
How Jill Roord and Pien Sanders Met
Roord and Sanders knew of each other through Dutch elite sport and followed each other on Instagram. Their connection developed through direct messages after one of Roord’s friends helped create the first opening. The pair later said that after only a few messages, they felt a very strong connection.
When Did Jill Roord and Pien Sanders Start Dating?
Their relationship began in early 2025, and Sanders publicly confirmed the romance in May that year. By June 2025, Roord had confirmed that they were living together. Later coverage placed their shared home in Amsterdam. In November 2025, they appeared together as guest editors for the LINDA.meiden Winter Special and spoke openly about their relationship.
Jill Roord and Pien Sanders Home Life
The couple welcomed a dog named Mardy in January 2026. They have shared parts of their home life on social media and have spoken about wanting children in the future. Becoming parents is one of the long-term wishes they have discussed together. There is no confirmed evidence that they are married, so Sanders is best described as Roord’s partner or girlfriend.
Jill Roord Former Partner Jana Fernández
Before Pien Sanders, Roord dated Spanish footballer Jana Fernández, who has played for FC Barcelona and Spain. Their relationship lasted about two years and ended in late 2024. Roord’s relationship with Sanders then developed in early 2025. Fernández should therefore be described as Roord’s former partner rather than her current girlfriend.
Jill Roord Injury and 2026 Recovery
Roord faced another setback during her first season back at Twente. In April 2026, the club confirmed that she was recovering from abdominal surgery. The exact medical reason was not made public. She returned to the starting XI in July 2026 during a pre-season friendly against Werder Bremen, marking an important step in her return to full football activity.
Jill Roord Honours
Her major honours include UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 with the Netherlands, a 2019 World Cup runner-up finish, Dutch titles with FC Twente, the Frauen-Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and two DFB-Pokal trophies. She also reached the 2023 UEFA Women’s Champions League final with Wolfsburg. Her second Twente spell has already brought the 2025 Dutch Women’s Super Cup and the 2025–26 KNVB Women’s Cup.
Jill Roord Sponsorship and Social Media
Roord is a Nike athlete and is represented by SEG FlowSports. Her Instagram account, @jillroord, has more than a quarter of a million followers, while her X account, @JillRoordNL, has more than 25,000. Her social media biographies identify FC Twente, the Dutch national team, Nike and FlowSports as key parts of her professional career. She has also worked with brands including Biotherm. Roord is an ambassador for Jantje Beton, a Dutch organisation that encourages children to spend more time playing outdoors.
Final Thoughts on Jill Roord
Jill Roord has grown from a gifted young player in Oldenzaal into one of the Netherlands’ most experienced international midfielders. Her career includes major European clubs, domestic titles, a European Championship, a World Cup final and a return to the team where her senior journey began. She has also overcome a serious ACL injury and another operation in 2026.
Now back at FC Twente, Roord combines elite football with a more settled life in the Netherlands. Her relationship with Pien Sanders, close family ties and renewed enjoyment of the game have become important parts of this stage of her life.
At 29, she still has the technical quality, experience and scoring ability to remain an important figure for both FC Twente and the Netherlands.
